Folders



FOLDERS Filed June 21, 1965 215 [/25 (/29 Z24 /Z5\/Z5 INVENTOR F/G. 4 FRANK 14/ Lock:

' BY QMWQJ .ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,301,463 FOLDERS Frank W. Locke, Minneapolis, Minn, assignor to Waldorf Paper Products Company, St. Paul, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Filed June 21, 1965, Ser. No. 465,284 Claims. (Cl. 22940) This invention relates to an improvement in folders and deals particularly with a folder useful in enclosing a rectangular object such as a book, a picture frame, or the like, or which may be used to enclose phonograph records and the like.

Numerous types of folders have been produced for containing books and the like. Many of these folders must be glued or taped shut, which usually involves some equipment. Other folders have been designed which .may be locked in closed position. However, such folders are usually rather complicated and are often difiicult to lock in closed position in a short period of time.

An object of the present invention resides in the provision of a simple folder which includes a generally rectangular base panel, and side and end wall flaps hinge-dly connected to the sides and ends of this base panel. If the article to be enclosed is of substantial thickness, side and end wall panels are provided between the base panel and the flaps. The flaps which are hinged to the ends of the base panel are relatively narrow and generally rectangular. The parallel side edges of each side wall flap are notched. The portions of the side wall closing flaps between the notches and the ends of these side wall flaps then form locking tongues. As the side wall flaps are folded over the end wall flaps, these locking tongues are tucked beneath the center portions of the end flaps, effectively locking the flaps in closed position.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a folder of the type described which is very simple to close. In closing the folder, the end flaps are first folded inwardly to lie in a substantially common plane. The operator then folds a. first side wall flap downwardly over the ends of the end wall flaps, the operator simultaneously bending the locking tongues downwardly until the ends of these tongues engage the upper surface of the enclosed article. As the downward movement of the side wall flaps continues, the ends of the locking tongue slide between the article enclosed and the center portions of the end flaps, to lock the flaps in place. The second cover flap is folded in the same manner. With a little practice, the folders may be closed in a very short period of time.

These and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of the specification,

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the folder in closed position.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of an end of the folder, showing hidden portions of the flaps in dotted outline.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view through a portion of the closure during the closing operation.

FIGURE 4 is a diagrammatic view of the blank from which the folder is formed.

The folder is indicated in general by the letter A, and is designed to contain a book, magazine, picture frame, record, or the like. Such an object is diagrammatically illustrated in FIGURE 3 and designated by the letter B.

The blank A includes a generally rectangular base panel 10. The panel is connected along opposite end edges "ice The base panel 10 is also connected along parallel fold lines 16, which are in right angular relation to the fold lines 12, to side walls 17. The side walls 17 are connected by parallel fold lines 19 to side wall closing flaps 20. The side wall flaps 20 are also generally rectangular in outline.

The width of the end walls 12 and side walls 17 depends upon the thickness of the article being packaged. The side and end walls may be eliminated entirely if the folder is used to pack a very thin object such as a phonograph record or the like.

Each of the sides of each side wall closing flap 20 is notched, the notches being all identical. Each notch is indicated in general by the numeral 21, and is formed of a pair of connected cut lines. The cut lines 22 extend diagonally inwardly from the side edges of the flaps 20,

by parallel fold lines 11 to end walls 12. The end walls 1 and in the construction illustrated extend diagonally inwardly from the corners of the base panel 10. The cut lines 23 extend substantially parallel to the end edges 24 of the side wall flaps 20 and connect with the corresponding out line 22 at a point spaced from the end of the cut line 22. In other Words, the out line 22 preferably extends somewhat beyond the intersection of the two lines.

The areas of the closure flaps 20 which are between the notches 21 and the end edges 24 of the flaps 20, preferably provide locking tongues 25. Usually score lines 26 extend from a point adjoining the juncture of the out line 22 and 23 to the end edges 24 of the flaps 20, the score lines 26 being generally at right angles to the ends 24. As a result, the locking tongues 25 may be flexed out of the plane of the flaps 20 while inserting the locking tongues in place.

As is indicated, the end edges 27 are preferably slightly angled so that the portions of the locking tongues which are closely adjacent the edges 24 extend slightly beyond the opposite sides of the locking tongues. The purpose of this arrangement is to permit the locking tongues to be inserted in place by merely feeding the longer portions of the tongue beneath the end flaps, making it unnecessary to insert the entire end of the locking tongue simultaneously. The tapered side edges 15 of the flaps 14 make it possible to fold the flaps 20 to the extent necessary to insert the tongues 25 beneath the flaps 14 before the flaps 14 are completely flat against the product B, thus simplifying the locking operation. The natural tendency for the flaps 14 to swing upwardly provides a natural space between the flap ends and the product.

As will be evident, in closing the folder, the book or other object B is placed upon the base panel 10. The end flaps 14 are then folded upwardly and inwardly into a substantially common plane. One side wall flap 20 is then folded upwardly and inwardly, the portions of the flaps 20 between the notches 21 and the fold line 19 overlying the end portions of the end flaps. During this folding operation, the operator bends the locking tongues 25 downwardly so that the ends 27 of the locking tongue are inwardly of the end edges of the flaps 14. When the ends of the locking tongue strike the object B, further downward folding of the flap 20 causes the end of the tongues to slide along the surface of the object B and go beneath the center portions of the end flaps 14.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of construction and operation of my improvement in folders; while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that obvious changes maybe made within the scope of the following claims without departing from'the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A folder comprising:

' a generally rectangular base panel, substantially rectangular end flaps,

'means hingedly connecting said end flaps to opposite parallel ends of said base panel,

generally rectangular side wall flaps,

means hin gedly connecting said side wall flaps to opposite sides of said base panel,

a notch in each of the side edges of each side wall flap defined by a out line extending generally diagonally inwardly from the end of the means connecting said side wall flaps to said base panel, and a out line extending generally parallel to the end of said side wall flaps from said first named out line to the adjoining side edge of said side wall flap,

the depth of each said notch exceeding the length of said end flaps, wherein when the side wall flaps are folded tooverlie said end flaps, the portions of the side wall flaps between said notches and the ends of said side wall flaps may be tucked beneath said end flaps.

2. The structure of claim 1 and in which said means connecting said flaps to said base panels includes a pair of parallel fold lines having a wall panel therebetween.

3. The structure of claim 1 and including fold lines extending from a point adjacent the intersection of the cut lines forming each said notch to the adjacent end edge of the side wall flaps.

4. A folder comprising:

a substantially rectangular base panel,

end walls hinged to opposite ends of said base panel,

side walls hinged to opposite sides of said base panel,

generally rectangular end flaps hinged to said end walls along lines parallel to the hinge lines connecting said end walls to said base panel,

generally rectangular side wall flaps hinged to said side walls along fold lines parallel to the lines of hinge connecting said side walls to said base panel, a notch in each of the two side edges of each side wall each said notch being defined by a first cut line extending generally diagonally inwardly from the side Wall flap side edge toward the end of this flap, and a second cut line generally parallel to the end of the side wall flap from said first out line to the adjacent flap side edge,

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/ 1923 Deubener 22984 4/1935 Cather et a1. 229-84 12/ 1935 Myers.

7/ 1956 Ringler 229- X FOREIGN PATENTS 1/1963 Austria.

JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

D. T. MOORHEAD, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A FOLDER COMPRISING: A GENERALLY RECTANGULAR BASE PANEL, SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR END FLAPS, MEANS HINGEDLY CONNECTING SAID END FLAPS TO OPPOSITE PARALLEL ENDS OF SAID BASE PANEL, GENERALLY RECTANGULAR SIDE WALL FLAPS, MEANS HINGEDLY CONNECTING SAID SIDE WALL FLAPS TO OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID BASE PANEL, A NOTCH IN EACH OF THE SIDE EDGES OF EACH SIDE WALL FLAP DEFINED BY A CUT LINE EXTENDING GENERALLY DIAGONALLY INWARDLY FROM THE END OF THE MEANS CONNECTING SAID 